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4th Annual <strong>Teamsters</strong> <strong>Local</strong> <strong>25</strong> Gala<br />
a <strong>Smashin</strong>g Success<br />
800 Guests Help Light Up the Night for Autism<br />
<strong>Teamsters</strong> <strong>Local</strong> <strong>25</strong> lit up the night at the 4th<br />
Annual Gala for Autism, raising more than<br />
$3<strong>25</strong>,000. On Saturday, May 7, about 800 guests<br />
joined <strong>Teamsters</strong> <strong>Local</strong> <strong>25</strong> President Sean M.<br />
O’Brien for this annual event, held this year at the<br />
Boston Convention and Exhibition Center.<br />
L to R: $170.000 for Autism Speaks…Trish Disilva <strong>Local</strong> <strong>25</strong>, Erica Giunta Autism Speaks,<br />
Larry Cancro VP of Fenway Affairs & Autism Speaks, Sean M. O'Brien, <strong>Teamsters</strong> <strong>Local</strong> <strong>25</strong><br />
“This event gets better and better each year,”<br />
President O’Brien said. “We have a lot of fun but at<br />
the end of the night it’s all about raising money for<br />
autism. On behalf of the officers and our members,<br />
I’d like to thank everyone who participated this year.<br />
Whether you were a major sponsor, donated an auction<br />
item or joined us as a guest, you contributed to<br />
our most successful event to date.”<br />
Special thanks to the many wonderful sponsors,<br />
including platinum sponsors Feinberg, Campbell &<br />
Zack, PC and Intercontinental Real Estate Corporation.<br />
Many Teamster officers from other states came<br />
to support the event, as did Lt. Gov. Tim Murray<br />
and House Speaker Robert DeLeo, along with several<br />
state legislators.<br />
In the past four years, <strong>Teamsters</strong> <strong>Local</strong> <strong>25</strong> has<br />
raised more than half a million dollars for autism<br />
research and awareness.<br />
Autism is largely considered<br />
the fastest growing<br />
medical threat to children.<br />
Statistics from the<br />
Centers for Disease Control<br />
and Prevention estimate<br />
that one in 110<br />
children and one in 70<br />
boys are diagnosed<br />
annually, making autism<br />
more common than<br />
pediatric cancer, diabetes<br />
and AIDS combined.<br />
The Kevin Barry<br />
Pipes and Drums band,<br />
based out of the Malden<br />
Irish American Club,<br />
once again opened and<br />
closed the evening’s program.<br />
WCVB-TV news<br />
anchor Randy Price<br />
served as emcee for the speaking program that<br />
included President O’Brien, Lt. Gov. Murray,<br />
Autism Speaks President Mark Roithmayr, and a<br />
special video tribute that featured UPS worker<br />
Stephen McKay and his wife Michelle who shared<br />
their story about their daughter who is on the<br />
spectrum.<br />
Nine-year-old Christopher Duffley stole the<br />
show with his rendition of the National Anthem.<br />
Christopher is a blind and autistic musician from<br />
New Hampshire who began singing before he could<br />
8 | The SPOKESMAN | SUMMER 2011 | www.teamsterslocal<strong>25</strong>.com
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